The Sheer Joy of Learning; M. L. Levy

and "labor costs." Beyond the barrier imps was a stool laden with books on the social sciences. "To understand your place and purpose in society is necessary to survival," went the speaker~s plea. ~'You must speak up in the battle for men~s minds. To speak you must understand. To understand you must read, in spite of the other demands for your time. You must read so that you, your children, and their children, and the way of life you believe in, can survive." Other than the incongruous use of a cartoon-cornic book approach to secure interest in very un-cornic-bookMr. Levy is the Manager of the Plant Salary and Wage Administra tion Division of the General Electric Company in Schenectady. [256 ] like reading material, the speaker's story was logical and stimulating. Yet, in the discussion period which followed most of the time was spent by participants justifying the time they spend on the sports page, .. televiewing, lawn cutting, and other suburban delights, over and above any new. intellectual excursion.

A company executive, under whose tutelage the train ing course was conducted, detected the unfavorable drift of the discussion. He interjected the comment that keep ing up with the times, understanding the American ideology and competing ideologies were part of manage ment job requirements today. He pointed out that the management of this particular company would be meas ured on how well it met these requirements and would be promoted and paid according to such measurement. The speaker, then, tried to motivate us by saying in effect, ""Read or die. . . . Read to survive." What the executive in charge really said, however, was '''Read or you'll fail to get a better job. Read to get more money." Anti-Intellectualism Both these appeals, regardless of their worth, were external and material in nature. No one-speaker, execu tive, nor participants-suggested that love of learning, curiosity, or the· individual satisfaction of being more at home in one's time and place were appropriate. or sufficient motivation in themselves to explore unfamiliar fields through the written word. Why not? That an apparent lack of awareness of such motivation even exists [257 ] is a frightening commentary on current attitudes. Study for the sheer joy of learning, study for the thrill of using a God-given endowment denied to species other than man, study for the satisfaction it brings to the curious, restless, questioning, broadly-ranging mind seems too frequently forgotten, or if remembered, considered a little peculiar and unfashionable. The pure fun of intel lectual achievement is being overlooked in our catalog of joys.

Motorcycle jackets and basketball have greater appeal and acceptance than book jackets and study. A climate of anti-intellectualism exists. This does not mean failure to show European-style personal deference to teachers and scholars, an interpretation so often put upon the phrase "anti-intellectualism." Rather is meant the lack of respect for what the teacher and scholar represent the failure of individuals, regardless of their own ability, to marvel at what man's mind can do and has done and to desire to emulate to whatever degree possible, those who earnestly apply their mental ability. Correction Begins at Home Changing the climate of this kind of anti-intellectual ism requires changes in attitudes which have been a long time in the making. Meaningful, lasting changes in atti tude will not come from threats of destruction or prom ises of more money. They will come only out of sincere respect for the significance of the individual, out of won derment and awareness of the miracle of the mind.

[258 ] Creation of the desired attitudes cannot be effectively delegated to teachers, clergy, training course orators, or executives. The foundation of such attitudes is in the home, in the conscious and unconscious shaping by par ents of a set of values for their children. Some efforts of these others do help, but the receptiveness and un derstanding of their audiences is a function of the parental influence which long preceded it. And to the extent that certain efforts of others do not help, parents have only themselves to blame. The emphasis on group harmony at the expense of intellectual activity in our schools, the increasing devotion to "togetherness" and "sociability" in our churches are the result of the desires of the supporters of those institutions or of their apathy. Observation of the practices, attitudes, and habits of their parents can instill in children the strong desire to think and an appreciation of the satisfaction of intellec tual accomplishment. The wrong parental example can do just the opposite beyond any hope of correction.

[259 ] FREE MEDICINE CAN MAKE YOU SICK tg e~a,.le:J q. Jone:J, m:J). ~ AMONG the socialistic wedges being driven into the heart of our openly competitive society is government con trolled medicine. Its advocates describe it in glowing colors. "It is the moral obligation of· a civilized nation," they maintain, "to care for the indigent, aged, infirm, physically handicapped, and mentally ill." They talk as if only the State could discharge this obligation. In my belief, government medical care unwittingly prolongs the suffering of those already ill, and even causes illness to develop. A Widespread public complacency reflects lack of seri ous thought as to the possible consequences of socialized medicine in the United States. Many are lulled by a false sense of security because they hear so much about the benefits and so little, if anything, about the costs-the price to be paid. Experiences from other countries which have tried socialized medicine are drepressing and alarm ing and ought to guide us away from similar mistakes.